#Learn mac command line how to

If all it said was вЂњGames,вЂќ you might not be sure where on your computer the вЂњGamesвЂќ folder was nested. I.e.: it shows you exactly where you are. вЂњlsвЂќ and вЂњpwdвЂќ are helpful for showing where you are in the filesystem. вЂњpwdвЂќ stands for вЂњprint working directory.вЂќ It shows the name of the directory youвЂ™re currently in, aka the вЂњworking directory.вЂќ Often abbreviated as stderr, this refers to an an error message outputted by a failed process. Often abbreviated as stdout, this refers to information outputted after a process is run.ДЇor example, if you did an вЂњlsвЂќ command, the standard output would be the list of files/folders it showed as a result. Often abbreviated as stdin, this refers to any information (for example text) inputted into the terminal through the keyboard or input device.ДЇor example, standard input could be whatever command you enter. So you might have a path like:Дesktop/Music/Albums/OliviaRodrigo/DriversLicenseLyrics.txt Standard Input: Each of those folders would also have their own folders within them. Within that folder, you might have folders for Art, Music, Programming, and Pictures. The first directory in the filesystem is the вЂњroot directory.вЂќ ItвЂ™s the parent of all other directories and files in the filesystem.ДЇor example, letвЂ™s say you have a folder called вЂњDesktopвЂќ as your root directory.

Whatever folder (or directory) youвЂ™re currently looking at in the terminal is called the вЂњworking directory.вЂќ Filesystem:ДЇiles and directories on your computer are organized into a вЂњfilesystem.вЂќ This organizes the computerвЂ™s files and directories into a tree-like structure. When using the command line, folders are called вЂњdirectories.вЂќ When talking about the command line/Mac terminal, an вЂњargumentвЂќ is the subject of a command. When you see the shell prompt at the end of a line, youвЂ™ll know that itвЂ™s ready to accept commands. For example, when you first open the terminal, youвЂ™ll see a placeholder line like ~ $ This is called a вЂњshell prompt.вЂќ It shows up when the Mac terminal is ready to accept a command. Then, simply double-click the Terminal app result. To open Terminal on your Mac, you can click the magnifying glass search icon in the top bar, and type вЂњTerminal.вЂќ

#Learn mac command line how to

How to Open Terminal on Mac:ДЄccessing the terminal app on your Mac is easy. Tip before you dive in: although you might see commands with quotation marks below, you donвЂ™t need to use the quotation marks in the terminal. And if you arenвЂ™t sure where to start, you can use the cheat sheet below! It contains commands as well as common vocabulary. Once you get the hang of the commands, using the terminal can become second nature. But the good news is that it follows straightforward rules. You might immediately become anxious seeing a reference to the вЂњcommand lineвЂќ вЂ“ or as itвЂ™s known on Mac, вЂњterminal.вЂќ ItвЂ™s true that it can feel daunting to use at first.